Welcome to the module on the intersection of pedagogy and technology in the classroom

Teacher Education has experienced criticisms that preparation programs often feature disconnected courses that are purely theoretical and do not, in the end, produce new teachers who have critical skills needed to be successful in the classroom from the start. In response to such criticisms, some organizations involved in preparing and developing teachers have identified core practices that all teachers should be able to do and created new standards for teacher prep programs (sorry you’ll have to create a free account to read this full EdWeek article).

For example, Edutopia lists 16 “habits of mind” that should be represented in teacher work and in nearly all teacher instruction, including finding humor and supporting creativity.

In a similar vein, the University of Michigan has listed 19 high leverage core teaching practices. These are “high leverage” because they should be able to touch on nearly every course or inservice experience that teacher experience, such as teachers being able to establish classroom norms, choosing and adapting existing materials for specific classroom learning outcomes, and leading whole classroom discussions.

For this challenge, you are invited to consider how technology can be wisely integrated in support of any and all of these core practices and so-called “habits of mind.” To anchor your work on this challenge, the following class scenario is provided.

Some Background on Good Pedagogy (in general)

Read the 14 APA Learner-centered Principles

Revisit the 19 U Michigan high leverage core practices

and the Edutopia 16 Habits of Mind for teachers.

Each Year the Horizon Project identifies emerging technologies and trends. Download their latest report and consider reviewing the executive summaries of the past 2 or 3 years. Compare the trends.

Next read how computer savvy students use computers vs how teachers use computers:

• Students differ in how they use computers at home and at school for learning
• There can be quite a difference in priorities for computer use at home and at school

Then consider the Digital Divide:

• Ba, H. on the Digital Divide

Are Video Games a learner-centered learning environment if by playing Pirates! you learn history or at least understand Spanish colonization?

What are the “big ideas” you’ve learned from studying Learning Theory? Would you agree they include the following?:

• Practice (makes perfect)
• Active, hands-on, “interactive”
• Integrated across curricular domains
• Collaborative and social (involving team or peers)
• Supported by family, peers, and culture
• Developmentally appropriate (allowing “levels” of challenge)

Enduring Understanding- Student Learning Outcome from this module

This module intends provide an authentic case of technology integration and encourage a discussion of how Ms Robson is doing with regard to the wise use of tech to create an innovative, engaging and effective learning environment for her students that aligns with TPACK and represents the Transformation level of the SAMR framework.